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Meghan McCain: 'We're Always Talking About Gun Control,' But It Wouldn't Have Made a Difference in Texas Shooting

May 21, 2018

Meghan McCain, the sole conservative panelist on ABC's "The View," shot down the idea on Monday that gun control measures would have prevented the recent school shooting near Houston.

"When we've had this conversation before, we're always talking about gun control. And we said before, 'Okay, AR-15s, all semi-assault rifles, if they are banned, this won't happen.' That is not accurate in this case," McCain said.

McCain mentioned the shooter had other weapons other than guns he could have used.

"He had a pipe bomb, a molotov cocktail, and a carbon dioxide device, which by the way are things you make in your house as well ... things you can find off the internet and do – you can make bombs," she said.

She also called on Kelly Clarkson to expand on what she wants to do about guns after the singer called for "action" at the Billboard Music Awards Sunday night.

Clarkson made her call for action while also describing herself as a gun owner and concealed carry permit holder who sleeps with a Colt 45.

McCain went on to say there is a clear distinction between law-abiding gun owners and those who use guns for illegal purposes.

"This kid is a psychopath who went on a shooting spree," McCain said of the student accused of killing eight students and two teachers at Santa Fe High School.

She said "the idea that a law would have necessarily made a difference," was wrong.

"There's a larger issue as well, and to say, 'we can't talk about mental health'– We should talk about mental health. There are young guys in this country that feel that they need to go on a killing spree when a girl rejects them. That is also a conversation that should take place," McCain said.

Co-host Joy Behar said Republicans bring up mental health too often when talking about mass shootings, saying there are "mentally ill people ... all over the world – it only happens here." However, it is inaccurate to say mass shootings do not occur in other counties, or even say they occur most frequently in the United States. Earlier this month, seven people were killed in a shooting in Western Australia.

McCain argued mental health issues are a legitimate part of the debate on mass shootings.

"If you're going on a shooting spree at school, you're not mentally well," McCain said.